The New York Times Learning Network

Want to keep your young person informed? The New York Times Learning Network offers a news and information service for students in grades 3 thru 12, educators, and parents. The site features several activities for young minds, such as, News Summaries, Who's Who and What's What, On This Day, Word of the Day, Science Q & A and more. Rival newspaper, The Washington Post, also has a wonderful section for young people--KidsPost.
Grades 3 thru 12

Exploratorium

Online since 1993, the Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. The site now contains over 18,000 award-winning Web pages exploring hundreds of different topics. Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of science, art, and human perception exhibits. Our favorite area of the site is full of Snacks...but they're not the kind you eat. They're the kind you can learn from and have fun with. Exploratorium Science Snacks are miniature versions of some of the most popular exhibits at the Exploratorium--San Francisco's Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception. And for goodness sake, don't miss the 10 Cool Sites section. It's some kinda treat.

Online Games

It is the holiday season and with all the fervor surrounding the PS3 I thought that rather than featuring a site today, it might be better to feature a genre--online games. The year before last I was bombarded with requests for the likes of PlayStation 2, XBox, and Game Cube. I bought a Toshiba M35X-51142 laptop and pointed my child to the worldwide web. So whether the need is to write or research a paper, email friends, download music, or play games, its covered. As a heads up, Bonus.com, the Zone, and Gameboredom are frequented game sites, and there are hundreds more. Well, let me go see if I can find a PlayStation 3. Just joking.

Decades of Discovery

I'm a nut for the details. I hate to read an article and really not understand what it means. What was the significance of decoding the human genome--what did it mean for me and my child? For the past two-and-a-half decades, the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy has been at the forefront of scientific discovery. Staff and colleagues have identified 100 or so of the most important discoveries supported by the Office of Science. In addition, they have provided links to resources that help us to understand what those discoveries mean to the everyday person. Decades of Discoveries is a goldmine for those who of us that need just a little more detail.

BasketMath Interactive

The newly upgraded Science Academy Software BasketMath InterActive is one of the first interactive math applications on the web. Math is one of those disciplines where mastering the basics is key to tackling the higher levels . The BasketMath InterActive tools provide the necessary practice for building a solid math foundation. And, it adds new twists and a bit of fun.
(Grades 4 thru 10)